Sun Nov 02 23:57:00 UTC 2025: Chennai, India – November 3, 2025 – The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing is reporting a significant surge in WhatsApp hacking scams, with over 3,000 complaints filed in the state alone in 2025. Despite WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, scammers are exploiting user negligence through a variety of tactics, including OTP scams and fraudulent RTO challan messages.
According to Additional Director General of Police, Cyber Crime Wing, Sandeep Mittal, the scams often involve tricking users into revealing their 6-digit SMS verification code, often by impersonating tech support or a friend. A newer and increasingly sophisticated scheme involves fake RTO traffic fine notifications, which prompt victims to download malicious APK files. Once installed, these apps request intrusive permissions, granting scammers access to SMS messages, contacts, and even the ability to intercept one-time passwords, thus allowing unauthorized transactions and identity theft.
“This scam can be easily prevented when our common sense is applied,” stated Mr. Mittal, emphasizing the importance of verifying the authenticity of requests and being wary of unsolicited messages asking for personal information or prompting downloads from unverified sources. The Cyber Crime Wing urges users to exercise caution and vigilance to protect themselves from these increasingly prevalent cyber threats.
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